Wall vent screen

ABSTRACT

A small screen is used for blocking insects from entry into vent holes provided in brick walls. The screen has a frame with an aperture. A mesh of screen material is located over the aperture. A retainer is connected with the screen for retaining the screen over the vent hole. The retainer has resilient fingers that extend forward from the screen for frictionally engaging opposite sides of the vent hole.

[0001] This application claims the priority date of provisionalapplication Serial No. 60/233,525, filed Sep. 19, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates in general to insect screens, and inparticular to an insect screen for preventing access to vent holesformed in brick walls.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] Many residential homes are built with brick veneer walls. Theframe of the house comprises wooden studs, with a brick veneer beingbuilt on the outside of the frame. Vent or breather holes are commonlyformed in the brick wall or veneer to allow moisture that may accumulatewithin the wall to vent. Normally the vent holes are located at the baseof the brick wall at the upper surface of the concrete foundation. Avent hole is formed by leaving a vertical space between two of thebricks free of mortar, resulting in a rectangular opening that is thedepth of the brick. The opening leads to the wood frame behind the brickand is typically about one-half inch wide. Vent holes are spaced apart aselected distance, such as ten feet. The vent hole communicates with thespaces between the brick veneer and the wooden free, allowing forpassage of air and drainage of water.

[0004] While vent holes are useful for reducing moisture content withinthe wall, they have the disadvantage of allowing insects to enter. Thiscan be especially detrimental with insects that damage wood, such astermites.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In this invention, a screen is provided that is particularlysuited for vent holes in walls. Each screen is sized slightly largerthan an average vent hole. Each screen has a frame with an aperture. Amesh of screen material is located over the aperture. A retainer iscarried by the screen for retaining the screen over the vent hole. Theretainer has at least two resilient fingers that extend from the screenand frictionally engage opposing sides of the vent hole.

[0006] In the preferred embodiment, the retainer is a resilient metalmember having a base portion that secures over side edges of the frame.The fingers extend from the base portion and are initially formed with adistance between them that is greater than the width of the vent hole.When inserting the fingers into the vent hole, the user will press intothe fingers slightly toward each other, then insert the fingers into thevent hole. The resiliency of the fingers tends to move them back to theinitial position, thus exert a bias force against the sides of the venthole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is perspective view showing a screen aligned forpositioning over a vent hole in a brick wall.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the screen of FIG. 1, taken alongthe line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and shown installed over the vent hole.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the retainer for the screen ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Referring to FIG. 1, a brick wall 11 is shown having rows ofbricks 13 laid on top of each other with mortar 14 between thehorizontal and vertical interfaces. Vent holes 17 (only one shown) areprovided in wall 11 at selected distances apart from each other. Ventholes 17 are normally located on the first or lowest row of bricks 13,which typically are laid on a concrete foundation 15 of the building.Each vent hole 17 is formed by omitting mortar 14 in the vertical gapbetween two of the adjacent bricks 13 on the lowest row. Vent hole 17 isrectangular, about one-half inch wide, and extends the full thicknessand height of the adjacent bricks 13.

[0011] A screen 19 is adapted to be placed over vent hole 17 to blockthe entry of insects, but still allow air and moisture flow. Screen 19has a frame 21, which is rectangular in the preferred embodiment. Frame21 has a pair of parallel side edges 23,25, a top edge 27 and a bottomedge 29, both of which are also parallel. The height from bottom edge 29to top edge 27 is slightly greater than the height of vent hole 17. Thewidth of screen 19 from side edge 23 to side edge 25 is slightly greaterthan the width of vent hole 17, thus considerably smaller than a widthof one of bricks 13.

[0012] Frame 21 defines an aperture 31, which is rectangular in thisembodiment. Aperture 31 is covered with a mesh material 33. Meshmaterial 33 is preferably aluminum screen mesh, doubled two or threetimes over to provide multiple layers. Mesh material 33 may be securedto frame 21 in a variety of manners. In a preferred embodiment, frame 21is formed of a thermoplastic material, and mesh material 33 is bonded bya suitable adhesive at the corners of mesh material 33. Alternately,applying heat and pressure to the corners of mesh material 33 causesslight melting of the thermoplastic material of frame 21, and adheresmesh material 33 to frame 21.

[0013] A retainer 35, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is used to retain screen19 over vent hole 17. Retainer 35 also provides support to mesh material33 in this embodiment. Retainer 35 in the preferred embodiment is formedfrom a single plate 37 of bendable and resilient metal. Plate 37 has onehorizontal slit 39 that extends forward from its rearward edge and isparallel to the bottom and top edges of plate 37. Slit 39 defines upperand lower strips that are then bent at right angles to plate 37 and inopposite directions. One of the strips comprises a base upper lateralportion 41, and the other strip comprises a base lower lateral portion43. Base portions 41,43 have the same lengths and heights, but baseportion 43 is lower than base portion 41. Base portions 41, 43 are inthe same vertical plane and orthogonal to plate 37.

[0014] A clip 45 is formed at the end of base portion 41. Clip 45 isformed by bending the end of base portion 41 at a right angle andforming a concave portion to provide a detent. Clip 45 will push or snapover side edge 23, as shown in FIG. 1, to releasably secure retainer 35to frame edge 23. Another clip 47 is formed on the end of base portion43. Clip 47 is formed by bending the end into a doubled over hook forengaging side edge 25 of frame 21.

[0015] Plate 37 has in this embodiment two horizontal slits 49, 51formed parallel to each other and extending rearward from the forwardedge a selected distance. Slits 49, 51 are parallel to the upper andlower edges of plate 37, defining three strips or fingers 53, 55 and 57.The upper finger 53 and lower finger 57 are bent out of plane of plate37 to the left. The central finger 55 is bent out of plate 37 to theright. After being initially bent and released, the distance between theends of fingers 53, 57 on the left and finger 55 on the right isslightly greater than the width of vent hole 17. The dotted linesindicate fingers 53 and 55 being bent outward. The degree of bending offingers 53, 55 and 57 depends upon the lengths of slits 49, 51, but willnormally less than 45 degrees relative to plate 37.

[0016] The distance from the ends of fingers 53, 55 and 57 to baseportions 41, 43 after being bent into the initial configuration, isstill sufficient to extend a considerable distance into vent hole 17,preferably from one-fourth to one-half the depth of vent hole 17. Thedistance from mesh material 33 to the ends of fingers 53, 55, 57 whilein the out-of-plane initial position is in the range from aboutone-fourth to one-half or more the height of screen 19 from bottom edge29 to top edge 27.

[0017] In operation, screen mesh material 33 is adhered to frame 21.Retainer 35 is placed on the forward side of screen 19 with clip 47engaging side edge 25 and clip 45 engaging side edge 23. Fingers 53, 55and 57 will be bent into an initial configuration with a distancebetween ends of fingers 53, 57 and finger 55 being initially greaterthan the width of vent hole 17. While being initially bent, the yieldstrength of the metal of fingers 53, 55 and 57 will be exceed so as toprovide a permanent out-of-plane deformation. Clips 45,47 will belocated approximately midway between the top edge 27 and bottom edge 29of frame 21. This positions the bases of fingers 53, 55 and 57 in acentral area midway between side edges 23, 25 and between top and bottomedges 27, 29 of frame 21.

[0018] As the user places screen 19 near vent hole 17, he will flexfingers 53 and 57 slightly toward finger 55 so that the fingers 53, 55and 57 can enter vent hole 17. The amount of deflection required isslight, and the resiliency of fingers 53, 55 and 57 urges them to returnto the initial configuration. This resiliency causes them to exert abias outwardly against the opposing side surfaces of bricks 13. Theamount of inward squeeze on fingers 53, 55 and 57 will not exceed theyield strength, thus this deflection is elastic. As the user releasesthe squeezing pressure, fingers 53, 55 and 57 tend to spring backoutward to their initial configuration. As the user inserts fingers 53,55 and 57 into vent hole 17, he pushes screen 19 in a forward directionuntil frame 21 abuts bricks 13, completely enclosing vent hole 17. Thefriction exerted by the outward bias of fingers 53, 55 and 57 againstthe sides of the adjacent bricks 13 retains screen 19 in abutmentagainst brick wall 11.

[0019] Screen 19 can be readily removed simply by pulling outward onframe 21. If desired, frames 21 could be made decorative with coloring,lettering, or drawings, particularly for various seasons.

[0020] The invention has significant advantages. The screens are small,lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture. The screens can be readilyplaced over vent holes to prevent entry of insects into the area betweenthe brick veneer and the wooden frame. Air and moisture are free to flowthrough the screens.

[0021] While the invention has been shown in only one of its forms, itshould be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limitedbut is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scopeof the invention. For example, rather than rectangular, the screenaperture could be circular, and more than one aperture could be used.The frame could be other shapes rather than rectangular. The retainercould be of different types. It could be secured to the screen meshmaterial rather than to the frame. It could be made of a resilientplastic material rather than metal, if desired. The clips on the ends ofthe retainer base could be formed in other configurations. The fingerscould be wires rather than strips of metal. Two fingers could be usedrather than three. The screen could be utilized for blocking other holesin addition to those in brick veneer walls.

I claim:
 1. A screen for covering a hole, comprising: a frame having anaperture; a mesh of screen material located over the aperture; and aretainer carried by the screen for retaining the screen over a hole, theretainer having at least two resilient fingers that extend from thescreen, the fingers having ends that are biased apart from each otherfor frictionally engaging opposing sides of the hole.
 2. The screenaccording to claim 1, wherein the screen has two side edges, and theretainer further comprises a base from which the fingers extend, thefingers joining the base in a central area between the two side edges.3. The screen according to claim 1, wherein the screen has two sideedges and top and bottom edges, and the retainer further comprises abasefrom which the fingers extend, the fingers joining the base in a centralarea between the two side edges and between the top and bottom edges. 4.The screen according to claim 1, wherein a distance from the ends of thefingers to the mesh material is more than one-fourth a distance from atop edge of the frame to a bottom edge of the frame.
 5. The screenaccording to claim 1, wherein the frame has oppositely facing sideedges, and the retainer is secured to the side edges.
 6. The screenaccording to claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises: a base havingfirst and second lateral ends that are secured to the frame; and whereinthe fingers extend from a central portion of the base located betweenthe first and second lateral ends.
 7. The screen according to claim 1,wherein the retainer comprises: a base having first and second lateralends, each lateral end having a clip portion formed thereon thatreleasably engages a side edge of the frame; and a plate extendinggenerally orthogonally from the base, the plate having at least one slitformed therein that defines the fingers.
 8. The screen according toclaim 1, wherein the retainer is formed of a single piece of metal andcomprises: a plate having a forward portion with at least one slitformed therein that defines the fingers, the fingers being bentout-of-plane from the plate in opposite directions and one of thefingers being lower than the other of the fingers; the plate having arearward portion with a slit formed therein that defines a pair of baseportions, each base portion being bent out-of-plane with the plate inopposite directions, with one of the base portions being located lowerthan the other of the base portions; and a clip member bent on each endof each base portion that releasably engages a side edge of the frame.9. The screen according to claim 1, wherein the frame is rectangular.10. The screen according to claim 1, wherein the aperture isrectangular.
 11. In a brick wall having a vent hole defined by opposingside surfaces of adjacent bricks, a screen for blocking entry of insectsinto the vent hole, comprising: a frame having an aperture; a mesh ofscreen material located over the aperture and secured to the frame; anda retainer carried by the screen and having at least two resilientfingers that extend into the vent hole from the screen and frictionallyengage the opposing side surfaces of the adjacent bricks.
 12. The screenaccording to claim 11, wherein the frame has a top, a bottom and twoside edges, and the retainer is secured to the side edges substantiallymidway between the top and the bottom of the frame.
 13. The screenaccording to claim 11, wherein the retainer comprises: a base havingfirst and second lateral ends that are secured to the frame; and whereinthe fingers extend from a central portion of the base located betweenthe first and second lateral ends.
 14. The screen according to claim 11,wherein the retainer comprises: a base having first and second lateralends, each lateral end having a clip portion formed thereon thatreleasably engages a side edge of the frame; and a plate extendinggenerally orthogonally from the base, the plate having at least one slitformed therein that define the fingers.
 15. The screen according toclaim 11, wherein the retainer is formed of a single piece of metal andcomprises: a plate having a forward portion with at least one slitformed therein that defines the fingers, the fingers being bentout-of-plane from the plate in opposite directions, and one of thefingers being lower than the other of the fingers; the plate having arearward portion with a slit formed therein that defines a pair of baseportions, each base portion being bent out-of-plane with the plate inopposite directions, with one of the base portions being located lowerthan the other of the base portions; and a clip member bent on each endof each base portion that releasably engages a side edge of the frame.16. The screen according to claim 11, wherein the frame is rectangular.17. The screen according to claim 11, wherein the aperture isrectangular.
 18. A method of blocking entry of insects to a vent hole,comprising: providing a frame having an aperture, a mesh of screenmaterial located over the aperture, and a retainer carried by thescreen, the retainer having at least two resilient fingers that extendfrom the screen; then inserting the fingers into the vent hole andpressing the frame against the wall, causing ends of the fingers to moveapart from each other to frictionally grip opposing sides of the venthole to retain the screen material over the vent hole.
 19. The methodaccording to claim 18, further comprising: prior to inserting thefingers in the vent hole, initially forming ends of the fingers apartfrom each other by permanent deformation a greater distance that a widthof the vent hole, then pressing the ends of the fingers toward eachother with elastic deformation while inserting the fingers into the venthole.